In This Hell
by MackIsMagic
Summary: Movies made surviving a zombie apocalypse out to be a lot easier than it was. In the movies, they at least gave the main character someone to tough it out with. Kuroo was alone, running and avoiding any combat until he managed to find an abandoned pharmacy. What the movies didn't make clear or stress, though, was the rush he got when he saw the first regular human in four days.
1. Chapter 1

Kuroo knew he couldn't stay there long. The creatures outside might have looking like monsters without any thought process, but it was obvious that their brains were still working to some degree. The pharmacy was filled of knocked over shelves, ripped magazines, candy bars, gum packets, and the refrigerated boxes had their doors either open or ripped off and their contents all over the floor. There was one of those boxes working, and Kuroo had gladly drank the soda bottle left in a few minutes. _Probably should've saved that_.

He grabbed painkillers and any antibiotics he could find. All the bandages, too. Anything that could be remotely useful if he got hurt in some way, shape, or form got shoved in the duffel bag he grabbed from the shattered window display of some retailer. He passed a lot of stores that looked like that in his mad dash to get out of the open crossroads where he saw some other confused people gathering.

As much as he'd like to find a person to survive through this with, he knew that numbers would make it harder to run away. He had seen one group of people who looked like a team—a group of people his age and a little younger all running in a crowd together as they grabbed supplies. It seemed that a lot of the population had realized something was really going wrong and that it'd turn into survival of the fittest or best prepared. Then the monsters started popping up. Kuroo saw his first when he stopped in the entrance of an alley to take a breather. A woman and man had been scrambling away from something across the street. He was going to call out, ask them what had them so scared, and if they knew what was going on. He's glad he didn't.

Most of the creatures were rotting. Gorey displays of flesh falling off muscles. Some had pus oozing from open wounds and eyeballs dangling from their sockets. A few he saw were missing limbs, the place where they should be looking as if it had been ripped off, the bone visible. Kuroo was glad he stayed up late with Kenma in the past, playing violent video games with realistic graphics and watching gore filled horror movies. Not to say that seeing that kind of vomit-inducing display in person was anything like the games and movies, but it gave him some kind of readiness. Throwing up while one of those _things_ was just across the street, tearing into the two people viciously would probably have drawn attention.

It seemed after he first saw one, they were everywhere. Each one was in some state of decay. Their flesh all some shade of green, purple, and yellow—making them look like their entire body was bruised. That was just the parts of their body that wasn't falling apart, bleeding, ripped, or had puss dripping from it. Again, Kuroo was _really_ glad he had a strong stomach. When he and Kenma had been watching those movies, he had picked on the shorter a lot for getting nauseous, but he felt bad now since Kenma was probably throwing up at the sight of those things.

Oh god, _Kenma_. Kuroo hadn't seen or heard from him since the night before, and Kenma had just told him he was spending the night at one of his other friend's house. Kuroo hoped whoever Kenma was with knew what the hell they were doing. He didn't know what friend Kenma was with, since he actually listened when Kenma said he didn't want Kuroo "corrupting them," but he sure wish he did so he could check up on them.

Kuroo shook his head back and forth in an effort to clear those thoughts out of the way. Reminiscing about possibly a possibly dead—nope, not going there. He pushed himself onto and over the counter where people would hand out prescriptions. A lot of the packages were still there, but some had been grabbed—knocking the boxes and rows they were stored in out of line. Kuroo just took it as a sign that someone else was trying to get supplies. He skimmed over the labels as he looked through them. The stronger painkillers went in the duffel bag, along with anti-anxiety and depression pills—just in case he needed them for whatever reason. There were also some better bandages back there, and he grabbed those, too.

Looking down at the contents of his bag, he was happy to note that he definitely had enough and it didn't weigh him down like he had feared. That was his second main worry about stocking up like this. He already grabbed all the candy bars, granola, and bits of food he could from the front counter before he started grabbing medicine. The energy drinks and soda—except for the one he chugged instantly—were ignored in favor of water. He didn't have any way to keep it cold, but it would do.

Kuroo glanced over at where he blocked off the front door with a cabinet. The back door was locked and the front windows were filled with broken glass—too dangerous to climb through—and shelves that had gotten knocked through them. Kuroo almost felt relief before he remembered seeing some of those monsters smash through windows and walk over the sharp pieces without a care in the world. That made the entire place unsafe. He just needed a nap.

Four days seemed like forever. Kuroo had avoided actually getting involved with any of the monsters that were now everywhere the entire time.

He sighed to himself and ran his hands through his messy hair. If he remembered the area well enough, there should be an old style hotel behind the pharmacy. The kind that had master keys to all the rooms a some giant ring in the employee's room. Kuroo could go there, grab the keys, get to a floor that had an emergency exit or window that led him to the roof tops of the building next door, find a room, lock the door behind him, and take a nap. _Dear gods he just wanted sleep_.

Kuroo did a mental check list to make sure he grabbed everything he planned to before walking to the back door. He used the crowbar he snatched with the duffel bag to bust the lock off the door. Carefully he nudged the door open with his foot, peering out at the back alley it lead into cautiously. Nothing was there. He quickly ran out and pressed his back to the opposite wall of the alley and looked up and down the space again. The end that lead next to the front of the pharmacy was blocked off with an upturned dumpster and pieces that looked a bit like the remnants of a car. He tried not to think about the monsters ripping into some car that more than likely had someone trying to drive away in side, but didn't do too well.

He walked in the opposite direction of that mess, towards where he was fairly sure there was that hotel. Ninety percent sure, at least. If he was wrong, he'd improvise. The slight noise his sneakers made on the cement ground made him worry if those things had super hearing. They probably did, so Kuroo took extra care to walk as quietly but as fast as he could.

The side entrance to the hotel was open, the lock busted off already. Kuroo had to wonder if another actual person had the same plan as him. Seeing another human would be nice.

He slowly pushed the door open further and crept in. The door lead into some side hallway. Kuroo scanned the area carefully, listening for any noises that might break the eerie quiet. He walked inside and closed the door, even if it wasn't locked it'd still give him a second of notice when he heard it open. He sighed in relief and walked down the hall towards the main lobby, crowbar hanging loose in his hand. The lobby was wrecked, as expected. Giant comfortable chairs were flipped and knocked over, the cushions torn up and scattered around the now dirty marble floors.

Kuroo started walking through the room, stepping over papers and shattered vases on the floor. He frowned at a splatter of blood on the floor, but chose to ignore it. He reached the middle of the room and glanced around. Windows were smashed in and tables were flipped and broken. It looked like the destruction was already spread city wide from what he'd seen. Kuroo stiffened when a slight scratching filled the silent air.

He turned around quickly, taking a step back. A creature was shambling to its feet behind a couple of the giant cushioned chairs. Kuroo missed it because of where the chairs were, and he regretted ever thinking it was easy getting into the building. The creature stood up and made a loud gurgling noise, some kind of gross liquid coming out of it's mouth. Kuroo started to slowly move back, fear making his stomach go hollow and chest tight.

The creature's head turned, a cracking noise coming from it. Pus was oozing from its left eye socket and the flesh was almost falling off it's bones. It turned to face Kuroo almost on accident as it seemed to scan the room. There was a moment of tense air where Kuroo felt he could see the cogs turning in its head—like it was considering something. It let out another gurgle and lunged forward, scrambling over a couch.

Kuroo swallowed a scream and started running backwards. The word s _hit_ was on repeat in his head and he moved back, crushing some other vase shards under his feet. The back of his knees hit one of the overturned couches and he fell backwards over it. He spat out a loud curse as his elbows hit the ground. He held up the crowbar, ready to swing and knock the creature back, and covered his mouth and nose with his forearm.

The creature peered over the edge of the couch as Kuroo tired to kick himself away while keeping his face covered. It let out a screeching noise and spit came out of its mouth, landing on Kuroo's arm. Suddenly, the creature's voice raised a pitch and when flying to the side. Kuroo stared up at where it had been and blinked in shock. There was a loud crash and shout. A _human_ one.

Kuroo quickly got to his feet, resting his hands on the couch he fell over. Another person was standing there. _An actual person_. Kuroo gawked in shock. It was a guy his age with wild salt and pepper colored hair—white with black roots all stuck up in crazy directions. He was a little shorter than Kuroo, but with broad shoulders that only came with working out frequently. He had on a t-shirt and jeans, a backpack on his shoulders, and a metal baseball bat in his hands. He had completely bashed the creature's head in, and now the thing was lying on the floor motionless. Kuroo immediately looked away from the disgusting mess the creature was now.

The guy turned to look at him, golden eyes wide and pupils dilated with adrenaline. There was a tense moment where they just stared at each other. The guy pulled his baseball back and glared with a frown.

"W-Wait!" Kuroo shouted, holding his arms up and over his head and face. "Hold up!"

"Sorry, man, but that thing spat on you, can't risk you being infected," the guy said. "It'll be quick."

"IT DIDN'T LAND IN MY MOUTH!" Kuroo nearly screamed, moving back further. His foot landed on a round vase and it rolled out from under him. He cursed loudly again and slammed down on the floor. "That virus thing has like a minute incubation period before it starts doing the flesh rotting. If I got infected I'd be spitting pus by now! Chill out!"

"...Really?" the guy asked. Kuroo peered out from between his arms. The guy looked clueless, eyebrow raised and mouth turned up in a curious pout. Kuroo blinked in surprise before relaxing, arms lowering.

"Yeah," Kuroo said, nodding slowly. The guy stared at him with that confused look for a few more seconds before he lowered the baseball bat, the metal clanking on the floor slightly. Kuroo let out a sigh.

"Well that's good," the guy laughed. Kuroo looked up at him, and he was smiling a little. "Not sure I'd wanna do that again."

"...I'm not gonna ask," Kuroo grumbled.

"Smart move," the guy snorted. He stepped over the couch and offered Kuroo a hand. "I'm Bokuto Koutarou, nice to meet ya."

Kuroo grabbed his hand and Bokuto yanked him up so he was on his feet. "Kuroo Tetsurou, good to meet an actual living person in this hell."


	2. Chapter 2

Bokuto used Kuroo's crowbar to pry open the employee's room door behind the main counter. Kuroo was glad that there was someone else to do all the door opening and looking around before entering a room. Well, maybe not because if there _were_ creatures in there then he'd have to watch the only person he'd seen in four days get ripped to shreds or turned into one of those things. Plus Bokuto actually didn't seem like a bad person, and at least the other seemed to have some kind of real combat experience—not just movies and games.

Kuroo waited anxiously as Bokuto inspected the room a little before pushing the door open all the way and walking inside, gesturing his hand for Kuroo to go ahead of him. The black-haired man eagerly rushed inside. The open space of the lobby put him on edge, especially considering he probably would have died if it weren't for Bokuto. _Knight in bad hair dye_.

He almost snorted at his own commentary out loud, but stopped himself. Kuroo walked over to the corkboard on the wall and searched for the keys. The board was big and took up a majority of the wall. Papers were pinned up with thumbtacks and pieces of tape. Some were torn like a person had just ripped them off in a hurry but almost every notice or schedule was there. Kuroo was extremely pleased that the key rings were labeled. Grabbing them all and trying everyone would probably be worse than dying right now. He was being dramatic, but he felt he deserved to be his usual sarcastic self.

"... How'd you kill that thing?" Kuroo asked out of the blue, glancing over his shoulder at Bokuto. The other was near the door he busted open, leaning on the wall next to it, peering out the gap between door and frame and holding it almost closed with his foot. Bokuto glanced over at him and shrugged.

"I just tried to bash their heads in," Bokuto explained, sounding like he didn't even believe himself. "There's probably some more scientific thing, but since they can't die from any other injuries... figured smashing whatevers making it move would work."

"Sounds like your just breaking the spinal cord," Kuroo said, pushing papers out of the way to look at hooks that had been covered by the papers hanging on the board.

"...Don't really know what that is," Bokuto said. "But if it kills them then it's good, right?"

"Damn right," Kuroo snorted. Bokuto chuckled, too.

"At least you know what kills them," Bokuto sighed. Kuroo grabbed the key ring that was labeled to unlock the rooms. "I just swing and hope it works."

"Who knew studying medicine in college would actually give an explanation for zombies?" Kuroo said. "Definitely didn't expect that to help in an apocalypse."

"You're in college?!" Bokuto perked up. Kuroo glanced over his shoulder and smirked at the childish glee on the others face. _Not fair that someone who could bench press him can be adorable_. "Me too!"

"God it's like we're in some shitty teen horror movie," Kuroo snorted.

"More blood, though."

"Got me there."

Kuroo ripped the map off the wall and spun the key ring on the index finger of his free hand. Bokuto moved his head up like he'd be able to see what Kuroo had from that distance. Kuroo walked over to him and flicked the map in his hand so it wasn't folding over on itself. He pointed to a room on the diagram of the eighth floor.

"There's a building below the balcony of this one," he explained. Bokuto nodded slowly and kicked the door open, peering around the corner to check the area again. "If those things block the door, then we can go out that way."

"...Isn't that like..." Bokuto mumbled, pouting as he walked carefully across the open space of the lobby towards the stairs. Kuroo followed behind him just as slow. "...a big fall?"

"Better than trying to climb if we're talking time wasting," Kuroo sighed. He looked at the map again, the measurements all typed up neatly in the corner. "It's not that bad, it just might seem farther than it is."

Bokuto hummed noncommittally and kicked the door to the stairwell open. As soon as he deemed the area good to enter, he started climbing up the stairs two at a time. Kuroo sent a longing look at the elevators before going after him. Maybe he should've kept running or something instead of deciding his walk to classes was enough.

There weren't too many flights, but Kuroo was still out of breath by the third floor trying to keep up with Bokuto. He leaned against the railing and slouched over, panting as his skin started itching. Bokuto stopped on the second step of the next flight and looked down, concern filling his face.

"You okay, dude?" he asked.

"I was not prepared for stairs after days without decent food," Kuroo grumbled, mostly to himself. Bokuto looked up the stair well. "We should've raided the kitchen."

"Nah, those things are, like, attracted to food," Bokuto sighed, leaning on the railing of the staircase he was on. Kuroo raised an eyebrow and looked up at him. "Like emo teens to Hot Topic."

Kuroo snorted loudly, clamping a hand over his mouth before his donkey laugh could come out. Bokuto laughed freely, though, loud and clear. He drummed his fingers on the railing and Kuroo began climbing up the stairs again. Bokuto slowed down so that they were walking next to each other instead of Bokuto leading by a flight. Kuroo could still feel his lungs burning a little and his skin itchy from sudden muscle use.

They walked up in silence except for their footsteps and the metal bat clanging against the railings every now and then. A few times, Kuroo had to slow down even further. They might not have been running, and he still had some muscles remaining from when he used to play volleyball, but he was _really_ out of shape. Not as out of shape as some people might be, but with Bokuto as a reference point he looked like he's never been active in maybe six years.

By the seventh floor, Kuroo was scratching at his thighs through his jeans in an effort to get rid of that stupid itch. Bokuto noticed halfway to the eighth.

"Whatcha doin'?" Bokuto asked. He frowned and narrowed his eyes. "You didn't lie to me about the incubation-whatever, did you?"

Kuroo froze for a moment and moved away a little, shaking his head frantically. "God no," he said, waving the hand that hadn't been scratching his leg. "I haven't done this much exercise in a while, so my veins are just trying to adjust to the blood flow. It's just itchy."

"You really did study medicine, huh?" Bokuto asked, tilting his head to the side like a puppy. "I'll take your word, but you turn all rotty, I'm throwing you out the window. No hard feelings."

"Right," Kuroo sighed. They continued climbing.

Bokuto tested the handle of the door to the eighth floor and quickly retracted his hand when it moved without protest. Kuroo looked down at the ring of keys and started picking through them to find the one to the room they needed. _41B_ , _41B_ , _41B_. He grabbed the right one and moved back towards the stairs they just came up at Bokuto's signal. The other readied the bat over his shoulder before opening the door and quickly stepping into the door frame. Kuroo tensed up at the slam of the door against the wall, but nothing else happened.

Both of them relaxed marginally at that and Kuroo joined Bokuto as the white-haired male started walking down the hall.

"What one?" Bokuto asked over his shoulder as he carefully looked down the hall, glancing around cautiously.

"41B," Kuroo responded, holding the key tightly as he looked around, too. Some of the carpet on the ground was a little torn up, but Kuroo thought the cuts were too clean to be anything else but a knife of actual cutting tool. Bokuto stopped where the hall branched off into two directions. "Take a left."

Bokuto nodded and looked down the right hallway first before looking left and stepping out into the hall. He gestured for Kuroo to go find a room ahead of him with his head. The black-haired man glanced left and right before rushing down the hall. 41B was at the very end of it. Bokuto followed after him. Kuroo skidded to a stop slightly at the door and jammed the key in the lock. He cursed as the key seemed to decide it didn't want to turn. He pushed the door into the frame with his side and the key finally turned with a click.

Kuroo threw the door open, then remembered that there was high probability that there could be a creature in the room. He stepped back and out of the way so Bokuto could go in first. The other stepped in and surveyed the room. He walked in, checking over the entire room before waving Kuroo in. He gladly walked in and closed the door behind him, locking it behind them.

The room was extremely small. There was a mini-fridge in the corner of the room, next to a mirror and low to the ground table. A cabinet was next to that, with a flat screen TV on top of it. On the other side of the cabinet was a chair like the ones in the lobby, but in actual decent condition. There was only one bed, but it took up a good portion of the open space. Next to it on either side were small end tables, one with a phone, clock, and lamp, and the other only had the lamp. There was a small bathroom with barely enough room to move inside to the left of the door, with a closet in the wall between the bathroom door and the entrance door. Big windows spanned the wall that faced out, leading to the balcony they'd need to use if they got cornered. There was a wall with a large arch in it the separated the area with the door to the bath room and closet from the part with the bed and TV.

Bokuto checked out the windows and glass door to the balcony. Kuroo sighed in relief, throwing the keys at the chair and tossing the map on the floor. He flopped over on the bed gratefully and immediately felt the urge to curl up in the blanket and nap for a day. Bokuto stayed looking around the room for a little while then tossed himself on the other side of the bed. Kuroo snorted at the loud _fwomp_ the other made on the bed. He looked over at the other and snickered at the sight of him face down on the white blanket. Bokuto made a grumbling noise that was probably a protest as Kuroo sat up and moved so he could lean against the pillows.

Kuroo stretched his arms out over his head and his legs out, knees bending back a little. His finger joints and knees cracked. He sighed in relief and slumped over, letting momentary relaxation overtake him at the peace. Bokuto flipped himself over, placing the baseball bat on the empty space at the foot of the bed. There was a lovely moment of silence before Bokuto and Kuroo's stomach growled almost simultaneously. Bokuto cackled and Kuroo snorted loudly, covering his mouth with his hand again.

"Imma check for food," Bokuto snickered and rolled off the bed lazily, shuffling over to the mini-fridge on his knees.

Kuroo bemusedly rolled his eyes and looked out the giant windows. They weren't that far off the ground, but there was still a pretty decent view since the building itself of was on a hill. The city wasn't alive like usual. It was way too quiet, and there weren't lights on, even as it started to get dark. There were no cars driving on the road, or people out of the streets going places. That was scary, but not as scary as what was actually out there. Kuroo felt like getting in the hotel was a little too easy. It was still pretty earlier if this whole thing had started only four days ago. Kuroo scratched the back of his head as Bokuto opened the mini-fridge and looked through it.

"Not much, but I got some stuff from the grocery store and other places I managed to stop by," Bokuto said, looking over his shoulder. "What ya thinkin' 'bout?"

"Just trying to math this thing out..." Kuroo muttered. Bokuto turned his head away immediately.

"Okay, you do that," Bokuto said quickly. Kuroo smirked.

"What? Not the math type?" Kuroo teased.

"Not exactly," Bokuto muttered.

"You said you were in college, right?" Kuroo asked. Bokuto nodded, standing up and closing the mini-fridge. "What d'ya study?"

"Oh! History, sorta," Bokuto said, rubbing his chin as he thought. "Forgot what it's called but it's like mythology and stuff."

"... I know what you're talking about, but I don't know the name either" Kuroo sighed. "This is gonna bug me forever."

Bokuto snickered and nodded. "But I was only really there for the volleyball team," he finished, hopping onto the bed and sitting next to Kuroo. He looked off to the side. "... Hope they got out okay..."

"'M sure their fine," Kuroo reassured. Bokuto shot him slightly thankful look as he got comfortable on the pillows. "How long you been playing?"

"Since middle school," Bokuto laughed. "But high school is when I actually started taking it real seriously."

"I used to play, too," Kuroo mentioned. Bokuto perked up instantly, eyes shining and grin on his face.

"Really!?"

"Yeah, middle blocker."

"Dude, that's so awesome! I'm a wing spiker! One of the top three!"

Kuroo snorted at the others enthusiasm, but it didn't put a damper on Bokuto's obvious excitement at having something like volleyball in common.

"Sounds impressive, but I'm not that into it anymore," Kuroo said.

"WHAT!? Why not?!" Bokuto asked, pouting like a child.

"Just... lost interest," Kuroo muttered, staring at a corner of the room to avoid Bokuto's big eyes. "Happens."

"...Guess so," Bokuto sighed. "Damn, it is fun to play though, miss that."

Kuroo hummed noncommittally and cracked his knuckles again. He felt a buzzing from his shoe and jolted. It caused Bokuto to jump and yelp, hands going up like he would punch whatever caused the disruption. Kuroo shoved his hand into the side of his shoe where the vibration was coming from. He gasped as his fingers brushed the edge of his phone case. He yanked it out of his shoe and grinned at it. He actually forgot that it existed and that he kept it in his shoe pressed to the side of his foot—maybe not the best place but it was better than pockets considering how often he fell over.

A vibrating noise came from Bokuto's pockets. He quickly scrambled to get his own phone out of his pocket.

"I didn't think these would _work_ ," Bokuto muttered as he unlocked his phone.

"No kidding," Kuroo agreed. He unlocked his own phone and got off the bed, heading to stand near the front door for a semblance of privacy. Bokuto stood up and went closer to the windows/

Kuroo turned back to his phone as he leaned against the wall next to the bathroom door, hidden from Bokuto's line of sight by the wall with the arch. The screen was lit up with an incoming call, and Kuroo answered it immediately after reading the ID. _Pudding Head_.


	3. Chapter 3

"Kenma?" Kuroo asked once he answered.

"Kuroo, you're okay?" Kenma's calm voice came from the other line.

"Yeah," Kuroo sighed, slumping against the wall. "You are, too, I'm assuming? What about the friend you were with?"

"Shouyou and I were sort of picked up by members of his volleyball team," Kenma said. "They had all met up and were going around to the others houses to make sure everyone was okay. We're with them, but everyone's taking a break since the cell service just came back. They're all trying to call their friends and people we haven't found yet. Shouyou's on the phone with one of them now."

"Good," Kuroo muttered. It felt like a giant weight had been lifted, and he could tell from the slight shift in Kenma's voice that he was feeling the same. "Glad to hear that you found some people. Shouyou is Hinata, right? Short, excitable, mandarin?"

"Yeah. What about you?" the other asked.

"I... I was on my own for a the first few days," Kuroo explained. "Met up with a guy called Bokuto who saved me then almost killed me because he thought I got infected. Luckily, I convinced him I wasn't and we sort of have a team-thing going on right now."

"Bokuto?" Kenma questioned, surprise leaking into his voice. Kuroo raised an eyebrow, peeking around the corner of the wall hiding him from Bokuto. He was facing the glass doors, excitingly talking with whoever was on the other line.

"You know him?" Kuroo asked.

"No, Shouyou just yelled 'Bokuto' into his phone when the other person answered," Kenma replied.

Kuroo moved the phone away from his ear. "Bokuto!" he called. Bokuto jolted and turned to him, giving a curious pout. "You talking to a guy named Shouyou?"

Bokuto looked surprised. He glanced at his arm hold his phone and nodded.

"He with someone called Kenma?"

"Hinata, is there a person named Kenma there?" Bokuto asked. Even Kuroo could hear the voice through the phone as the other person replied. "The guy I'm with just asked, but he's there?"

Bokuto nodded. Kuroo placed his phone to his hear again.

"Yeah, turns out the Bokuto here is the same one," Kuroo explained. He walked towards the bed and sat on the edge, gesturing for Bokuto to sit next to him. "I'm gonna hang up and we'll talk through Bokuto's phone. Might as well save the battery lives."

Kenma muttered an agreement and Kuroo hung up, putting his phone on the end table. He told Bokuto to put his phone on speaker as he sat down next to Kuroo. Bokuto fumbled a little and hit the button. There was faint conversation from the other line before Kenma said something.

"Kuro, you're there?" he asked.

"Right here," Kuroo said, smirking a little.

"WOW THAT'S SO COOL!" a perky voice said—Kuroo guessed that was Hinata. "Our friends met each other, Kenma!"

"That is so weird and awesome," Bokuto muttered in awe. Kuroo snorted at the expression on his face and Bokuto slapped him on the shoulder. "Hinata, so the whole volleyball team is there?"

"Yup!" Hinata replied happily. Kuroo could practically hear the grin on his face. "Everyone... Well except for Oikawa, but Kageyama just got off the phone with him before we called you. He's with Iwaizumi, Hanamaki, and Matsukawa. But other than that, everyone's here!"

"Akaashi, too?" Bokuto asked.

"He's the one who organized it!" Hinata answered. "Him and Tsukishima apparently came up with gathering everyone."

"Shoulda expected that," Bokuto laughed, placing the phone on the bed space between them.

"How'd you and Kuroo team up?" Hinata asked.

"He tried to knock my head off," Kuroo answered simply, giving Bokuto a grin. Hinata squawked a question loudly and Bokuto shoved Kuroo with an annoyed smirk, knocking him onto his side.

"Tell him the whole story, stupid!" Bokuto snapped. "First I saved your ass from a creature, then I tried to kill you because I thought you were infected. There's a _difference_ than just trying to kill you. Context, Kuroo!"

Kuroo snorted a laugh and swatted Bokuto's hand away, propping himself up on his elbows. Hinata sighed loudly in relief and Kenma's quiet snicker could be heard in the background.

"At least we know it's definitely Kuro," Kenma sighed. "You could tone down the mocking since we're living through an apocalypse."

"It's for a sense of normalcy, pudding head," Kuroo said, grinning. Bokuto snorted at him and shook his head. "Where are you guys?"

"Some building close to down town," Kenma answered. "When we got service back, the internet looks like it came back, too. There're a few forum like sites for people in the city. Apparently a group of people set up a sort of base-camp in the middle of down town. Stores and stuff for supplies there, so it makes sense."

"What about those things getting in?" Bokuto asked.

"Barricades and stuff!" Hinata piped up. "Oikawa said he and his little group were going to head that way, too. Looks like we're all meeting up there."

"Where are you guys?" Kenma muttered.

"A hotel about a mile from campus," Kuroo answered, rubbing a hand down his face. "So basically the opposite side of the city. Oh joy."

" _Really_?" Bokuto whined. Kuroo just grumbled and nodded. Bokuto groaned and flopped down backwards onto the bed. Kuroo grabbed the phone and placed it closer to their heads.

"Aw that sucks!" Hinata said, audibly pouting.

"Isn't being in a hotel dangerous?" Kenma asked. "What if you get cornered?"

"There's a building roof outside the balcony. It's a bit of a drop, but nothing too scary," Kuroo explained. There was silence for a few minutes. "Just good to hear that everyone's alive."

"No kidding," Bokuto sighed, stretching his arms out over his head. Hinata and Kenma both agreed. "We should probably hand up now to save battery life in stuff since I doubt any of us have a charger cord."

"Kenma does," Kuroo said at the same time Kenma said he had his. He nodded and smirked at Bokuto's shocked face. "Just don't waste all your battery on _Love Live_ , okay?"

"Don't spend yours on _Neko Atsume_ ," Kenma shot back. Kuroo scoffed.

"Call ya later, okay?" Kuroo said. Kenma muttered his agreement.

"Okay, stay safe!" Hinata chirped.

"You, too!" Bokuto replied.

The two of them eagerly said goodbye to each other, and Kuroo and Kenma said it one more time before Bokuto tapped the end call button. Silence fell between the two again. Bokuto rubbed his hands all over his face and let out a loud groan. Kuroo rolled over onto his stomach and grabbed a pillow to hug.

"Thank gods they're all alive," Bokuto mumbled. Kuroo grunted and nodded, shoving his face in the pillow. "You gonna try to call any of your other friends?"

"Kenma's the only one, to be honest," Kuroo sighed, shifting to rest his chin on top of the pillow. "I know Oikawa, 'cause we have a few classes that over lap with our majors, but that's it. Didn't get along with anyone else in my classes, really. Bunch of traditional nerds with sticks the size of a lamp post up their ass."

Bokuto cackled. "Yeah, I honestly thought you'd be an art major or something," he laughed. Kuroo smirked and cocked an eyebrow. "Got the whole... shady car-salesman but weirdly aesthetic-y vibe going on."

"Shady car-salesman?" Kuroo snorted, burying his face back in the pillow. "Sorry if I don't look like a freaking pro-wrestler, but not all med and chem students look like nerds, ya know?"

"Pro-wrestler, huh?" Bokuto laughed, sitting up and looking at his arms. "No way, man."

"You could probably bench press me."

"Pfft, I just go to the gym a lot, you're exaggerating."

"How much can you lift?"

"Shuddap."

"Bench press me right now, bro."

"Sorry, man, not happening. How 'bout ya tell me a weird medical fact?"

Kuroo thought for a few seconds. The whole situation was weird. Apocalypses were all business in the movies and games, but it was probably good that it wasn't. It'd be even more of drag. _Calling the apocalypse a drag, not the best description._ He rolled back over and patted the space next to him. Bokuto lied back down next him, taking his phone and leaning to put it over on the end table next to Kuroo's. Kuroo grabbed his arm, rolling up Bokuto's sleeve to see the vein's on his wrists.

Bokuto frowned and watched him do it suspiciously. Kuroo held his wrist in one hand and tapped the veins with the other.

"Okay, this is gonna be some inspirational shit, too," Kuroo said, glancing over at Bokuto with a mock-serious expression. Bokuto nodded. "Iron, right? It's in everyone's blood-" he pointed to the most visible vein on Bokuto's wrist, a muted blue against the pale skin "-The only place that scientists have been able to find iron, like a hundred percent naturally, is dying stars. Not the little pointy things that come in sticker form, but masses of gas that glow enough to shine lightyears across the galaxy, especially as they explode—that's actually what you see in the sky most of the time. Some of them are _amazing_ to see, even just in pictures that we got from space. But anyway, so if that's the only place iron is natural, that means we have actual stars pulsing through our veins at all times."

Kuroo traced over the visible vein again and looked over at Bokuto. The other was staring with wide eyes and a blank face. Bokuto opened his mouth a little before an expression of pure shock and awe. He turned to Kuroo and let out a strange gasp.

"THAT'S SO COOL!" Bokuto whisper yelled. Kuroo smiled and scoffed at his face. "Dude!"

"Weird facts are my specialty," Kuroo snorted. He dropped Bokuto's wrist and looked over at the clock on the end table. Bokuto was staring at his wrist, tracing the veins with his finger. "We should get as much sleep as possible. Use as much daylight to get across the city as we can, right."

"Oh yeah, apocalypse," Bokuto said, jolting a little. He crawled over the bed to the right side closer to the windows and balcony. "Just stick to your side, 'kay?"

"Right back at ya."

Bokuto pulled the blanket edges out from under the mattress and pulled his small backpack

closer to the side of the bed. Kuroo's duffel was put right next to it. Bokuto reached over him, grabbing their phones off the end table and shoving them in the backpack and zipping it shut. Kuroo yanked the blanket free of the mattress, kicked off his shoes, and then wrapped himself in the part on his side of the bed. He curled up so that only the top half of his face was above the edge of the blanket.

Kuroo rolled over so his back was to the wall and sighed, closing his eyes and relaxing a little. Bokuto shifted around a bit more before Kuroo felt him lie down and adjust the blanket again. The sky was getting darker outside, causing the room to get dark, too. It was still fairly early, but when they'd both been up for so long, sleep was a definite need.

There was a long period of silence, but then Kuroo felt something hit his nose. He grumbled and opened his eyes. Bokuto was staring at him, golden eyes wide again. It reminded Kuroo of something but he couldn't place it. He cocked an eyebrow.

"Wanna know what I regret?" Bokuto said. Kuroo's mind blanked out for a second and he gave a surprised look. "Listening to old Taylor Swift on repeat this morning."

Kuroo blinked and then broke out into muffled giggles, covering his mouth with his palm. Bokuto laughed quietly with him.

"What the hell, man? I thought you were about to spew out your tragic back-story," Kuroo snickered. Bokuto scoffed and play shoved him. "Taylor Swift?"

"Yeah..." Bokuto trailed off, smiling sheepishly. "It's been stuck in my head all day. The Romeo an' Juliet one."

"Oh... my gods," Kuroo sighed, still laughing under his breath. There was quiet again until Bokuto started humming it under his breath. "Nope! Not today! Don't you dare get it stuck in my head!"

Bokuto smirked evilly and started humming loudly. Kuroo groaned and slapped his arms uselessly. Bokuto laughed, interrupting his off-pitch humming for a second before continuing louder. Kuroo gave up and covered his ears in a futile attempt to block the other out. Bokuto cackled loudly, and Kuroo groaned as he finally stopped.

"If I wake up with that stuck in my head, you're not allowed to have my granola bars," Kuroo said petulantly. Bokuto snorted but still gave him an upset look.

"C'mon," he whined, nudging Kuroo. "Cheesy pop music will be our saving grace!"

"When I have the energy, bro," Kuroo said, shushing Bokuto with his finger. "I will ten thousand percent jam out with you to cheesy music after I sleep. I'd been up for four days, I get real cranky on day six."

Bokuto nodded with a stupid grin on his face and turned onto his stomach. Kuroo sighed, rubbing his temple before curling up again, fixing the two pillows he had so his head was sandwiched between them. Bokuto shifted around a bit more before settling quietly. Kuroo relaxed as much as his brain would let him. Tomorrow would be a lot of walking, and that meant energy and probably running from those things. He was lucky, to have avoided them all until the hotel lobby, get saved by and team up with Bokuto, and then make it to a hotel room with an actual bed and decent escape route.

His luck would run out, though.


	4. Chapter 4

"Kuroo."

"Kuroo..."

" _Kuroo!_ "

Kuroo jolted at the whisper yelling and force shaking him. Vocalizing any kind of protest were stopped by a hand clamping over his mouth. He briefly forgot where he was and struggled. Quiet shushing brought him back to the moment and he looked up at Bokuto, who was tapping his lips with his finger hurriedly while his other hand was covering Kuroo's mouth. His hair was messy, most of it just flopping in front of his face, but there were a few stubborn parts still sticking up. Kuroo stopped struggling and just stared at him blankly.

Bokuto slowly removed his hand from Kuroo's mouth and pointed to the door. "I heard something," he whispered. Kuroo frowned and carefully slid out of the bed. Bokuto got up, grabbing his bag and baseball bat.

Kuroo crept over to the door, feet silent on the floor. He glanced over his shoulder, finding Bokuto pushing the balcony door open just in case. The sky was deep oranges and purples, the sun just rising. At least they got a lot of sleep. He let out a quiet breath and looked out the peep hole in the door. He thanked years of scaring himself with horror movies and games for his silent reaction.

Four of those things shambling around in the hall that he could see. Other doors were ripped open down the hall, and it looked like the creatures were just sort of working their way towards them, going into every room. They were close, too. Kuroo carefully slid the deadbolt shut, making sure all the locks were holding the door closed. He walked backwards, eyes on the door and listening as the shuffling outside got a little louder. When he turned around, Bokuto handed him his duffel and ushered him out onto the balcony first.

Kuroo peered over the edge of the railing. His estimated drop from the balcony to the building was a little shorter than reality, but it was still okay. Boktuo closed the balcony door and walked up next to him.

"You first," Bokuto muttered, glancing back at the door. They couldn't hear the shuffling out there, but those things _had_ to be really close now or just outside the room.

Kuroo nodded slowly. He took a deep breath, hefting himself up onto the railing, crouching on it unsteadily. He grabbed Bokuto's shoulder so he wouldn't fall over backwards and braced himself to jump. He swallowed and pushed off the railing. He landed sloppily and ended up rolling head over heels a few times. He bit his lip to stifle a groan and sat up, giving Bokuto a thumbs up.

Bokuto nodded and hopped onto the railing himself. The creatures were now definitely banging on the door, loud groans and repetitive slamming against the door. Bokuto glanced back and let out a sigh, jumping as best as he could. He landed better than Kuroo, but still slipped and hit his knee on the concrete of the building's roof. Kuroo got to his feet and nervously looked at where Bokuto had a hand resting on where he hit the roof. He walked over and grabbed Bokuto's arm, tugging him up. Bokuto winced as he stood up straight, and the two of them ran across the roof top.

There was a fire escape off the side of the building. Kuroo jumped down the stairs three at a time, Bokuto scrambling after him. The alley they were heading towards looked empty, but Kuroo still stopped on the last platform. Bokuto skidded to a halt next to him, grunting as he clanged his knee on the metal railing of the stairs. He fell back and sat down, cursing quietly. Kuroo dropped his bag and sat down in front of the other, digging through the supplies in his bag. Bokuto looked over his shoulder curiously.

"We gotta keep going," Bokuto said. "There's probably creatures 'round here."

"Roll up your pants and don't protest," Kuroo ordered, pulling out disinfectant and a roll of gauze. "If those things smell blood, which they might, we need to make sure you're not bleeding. There's no way you get through that fall without a graze. Better safe than sorry."

Bokuto grumbled and did as told, pulling the leg of his jeans up so he knee was out in the open. He winced and huffed. There was a graze with blood beading at the surface. Kuroo frowned and shook the spray bottle of disinfectant. He tested it at the air before spraying it on Bokuto's graze. The other whimpered, covering his mouth with his hand. Kuroo looked up and raised an eyebrow. Bokuto pouted and pointedly looked anywhere but where Kuroo was sitting.

Kuroo snorted as he put the disinfectant bottle back in his bag. He ripped the plastic packaging off the gauze and threw it back in the bag.

"Stop whining," he said, scooting forward and starting to wrap Bokuto's knee. Bokuto kicked Kuroo's leg with his free foot and Kuroo swatted it away. "It's not even that deep, so there's no way it stings that bad."

"You have grazes, too," Bokuto grumbled. "What about you?"

"I can handle a little pain, man," Kuroo said, taping the gauze down. He only wrapped it two times over. Bokuto frowned, bending his knee a few times. Kuroo turned back towards the bag, grabbing a package of Band-Aids and the disinfectant again, putting the roll of gauze back in the bag. He twisted his arm and shook the bottle. He sprayed it on the grazes that marked the back of his forearms where they took the brunt of the force from his messy landing. " _See_ , no big deal."

Bokuto pouted, rolling down the leg of his jeans again and crossing his arms. Kuroo unwrapped some of the bigger band-aids and placed it over one of the grazes, pressing it down so it would stay even while he moved. He repeated that for the other two marks on his arm, then on his other arm. When he was done, he threw everything back in the bag, zipping it up.

"Y'know if there's a sports store near here?" Bokuto asked, standing up and holding his bat over his shoulder.

"...Maybe? There's a mall nearby," Kuroo answered. "I don't think that going in a mall is a good idea. Too many corners to get stuck in. Why are we going to a sports store?"

"Kneepads!" Bokuto said like it was obvious. Kuroo frowned as he shrugged the duffel over his shoulders. "Or elbow pads, whatever. If I knew I was gonna be jumping and doing action-movie stunts, I would've worn my volleyball ones."

Kuroo hummed and nodded. He looked down at the alley, making sure it was empty before starting to climb down the ladder. Bokuto followed after him.

"I'm like... eighty percent sure there's a store in this area," Kuroo said as he jumped the few feet the ladder didn't reach. "Maybe eighty-five percent, but in that range."

"Then might as well check it out, right?" Bokuto chirped and he landed next to Kuroo.

"... those things are probably out and around even more, now," Kuroo grumbled. He ran his hands through his hair, groaning as he rubbed his scalp. "Dammit. I got a full night's sleep and I still wanna pass out."

Bokuto mumbled an agreement. He nudged Kuroo with his shoulder.

"Let's at least find a place to eat something," he said, starting off down the alley towards where it opened onto the main street. Kuroo sighed, snatching his crowbar from where it had somehow ended up in Bokuto's bag, and nodded.

Bokuto walked over to the wall of the alley, pressing his back to it so he could peer out at the street. Kuroo watched over his shoulder. There were cars parked on both sides. Some windows were smashed in, glass shards scattered on the ground around them. A few cars were even flipped over, others had doors ripped off and on the ground. Bokuto suddenly put his arm out and pressed Kuroo and himself closer to the wall. A hoard of the creatures were out in the middle of the streets, all huddled together like a herd and shuffling down the middle of the street.

Kuroo cursed under his breath. Bokuto watched the creatures for a few seconds longer, before gently tugging Kuroo after him as they stepped out into the street. Bokuto had his back bent, and Kuroo followed his lead as he lead them against the side of one of wrecked cars. Kuroo could feel his blood pumping in his head and he tightened his grip on the crowbar to try and calm it down. Bokuto seemed totally collected, peering over the edge of the car at where the creatures were huddled.

Bokuto slowly moved away from the car, grabbing Kuroo by the wrist and pulling him along as he sprinted across a stretch of open space. Kuroo stumbled and almost fell over, but still somehow managed to not smash his face into the ground. Instead, he slammed into Bokuto's side when the other stopped behind an overturned car. He grunted and Bokuto jolted slightly. They both immediately froze as a creature let out a loud noise. Bokuto grabbed him again and bolted. Kuroo nearly tripped again, but got his footing and followed after him.

Kuroo was about to ask if that was really a smart move, but then he glanced over his shoulder and saw four of the creatures on the opposite side of car they just abandoned. The main hoard was walking off in some other direction, luckily. But the four at the car turned their deformed heads up at them and started going after them.

"Where the hell are we going!?" Bokuto grumbled under his breath repeatedly. Kuroo looked around the area. He didn't see any places that he knew for certain had multiple exits and hiding spaces except...

"This way!" Kuroo said, twisting his hand to grab Bokuto's wrist. He ran ahead and Bokuto yelped at the sudden change, stumbling over a piece of broken sidewalk.

"I thought you said mall was a bad idea!" Bokuto said, glancing over his shoulder. Kuroo didn't want to look back, just hoping that the adrenaline rush would make his lack of athletic ability irrelevant.

"Better idea than trying to run through alleys that neither of us know!" Kuroo said, jumping up the stairs that leveled out with the raised platform with the mall's front entrance.

Bokuto almost slipped again, but recovered quicker than Kuroo did and they ran into the front doors. The glass doors had been smashed in. Kuroo tried to avoid as many as the shards he could without slowing down and ran through the door. Bokuto was right on his heels. Kuroo glanced back. One of the creatures slipped and fell onto the glass shards. One of the pieces of glass still in the door frame had stabbed it through the head when it fell. The other two just climbed over the now dead one without hesitation.

Kuroo kept running, letting go of Bokuto's wrist so he could run faster. Bokuto let go of his and did the same, easily passing Kuroo.

"Escalator!" Kuroo shouted.

"Right."

They ran up the stationary escalator as fast as they could. There was only one, so at least the two monsters would have to push each other to even start climbing Bokuto reached the top and pulled one of the abandoned kiosks on wheels. Kuroo heaved as he reached the top and watched what Bokuto was doing. The other pushed the kiosk to the top of the escalator and pushed it over with a huff.

The creatures reached the bottom of the escalator and let out loud screeches. Bokuto took a step back, standing in front of Kuroo. The kiosk tipped over after hitting the first step, flipping over and flying through the air. It landed on the creatures. Kuroo winced at the audible crack. _Bone, definitely a bone_.

Bokuto stepped forward carefully, peering down the escalator. One of them was collapsed on the ground, pus pooling under where it's head had been crushed. The other was flailing and scrambling as it slowly made it's way out from under the now broken kiosk.

"You could _so_ bench press me," Kuroo found himself whispering unconsciously. Bokuto turned to him and tried to frown—but a smile was still breaking through. Kuroo coughed awkwardly. He actually hadn't mean to say that. "Let's keep going."

"Yeah," Bokuto nodded, smile turning into a small smirk.

Kuroo led the way this time, going off the central area and down the line of store entrances. Bokuto was right behind him, watching behind them for that creature as it let out another screech and appeared at the top of the escalator. Kuroo ducked around a corner, into the large door frame of one of the stores. He stopped, causing Bokuto to bump into him. Just like him bumping into Bokuto earlier, he was forced to stumble to the side with a grunt.

"That thing'll come this way," Kuroo said, waving off Bokuto's concerned look. "Just get ready to start swinging."

Bokuto still apologized quickly and quietly, before lifting his bat and pressing his back to the door frame. Kuroo hid by the display window, the mannequins all toppled over and keeping him out of sight. He watched and listened carefully. The creature was no where near quiet when it ran down the same space they did. Kuroo tensed up as he saw it stop outside the display window. It turned towards it, the eye still in its socket rolling around as it tried to find anything. Kuroo jumped and bit back a yelp as Bokuto stepped out from the corner and slammed the metal baseball bat right into the thing's head. Kuroo had unwittingly given himself a front row seat to the gore. He turned around and gagged, trying to wipe the image of the already rotten face getting smashed like that out of his head. _Don't throw up, you haven't eaten anything in days, throwing it up is the opposite of productive_.

Kuroo closed his eyes and listened to the repetitive slam of the bat against the thing's head. The creature let out a gurgling noise before Bokuto bashed it against the window one more time and it fell dead.

"We're good," Bokuto said. Kuroo sighed and stood up, opening his eyes and turning towards Bokuto. There was something near his mouth, starting to drip down the side. It was yellow and gooey. Kuroo stiffened.

"Wait don't open your mouth!" Kuroo ordered. He grabbed a random t-shirt and rushed forward. Bokuto looked at him, confused and worried. Kuroo wiped the goo up and away from Bokuto's mouth. "That thing spat on you."

Bokuto let out a small hum-scream, keeping his mouth completely shut as Kuroo folded the t-shirt and kept wiping to make sure the goo was as absorbed as he could get it to be. Bokuto started fidgeting when Kuroo threw the t-shirt off to the side and carefully looking over that side of Bokuto's face.

"Okay, you're good for now," Kuroo sighed. Bokuto relaxed marginally. "'Should find one of the wet-wipes just to make sure. There's gotta be a place that sells them or an employee's room we can find them in... You can open your mouth, by the way."

Bokuto let out a sigh and nodded. "I saw a pretzel place when we were running, they should have it in the kitchen," he said. Kuroo hummed and nodded. "You sure I'll be okay?"

"Remember the incubation period?" Kuroo asked. "It's like... seconds. Trust me, you're fine. You'll be even more fine when we get those things wipe down your face again."

Kuroo walked out of the store cautiously, avoiding stepping near the creature. It's body was still intact, but the head was almost turned to mush. He pointedly looked away and went around the corner. That probably wasn't a smart idea, but he wasn't attacked, so good sign. Bokuto was behind him a few seconds later and they walked down the line of store fronts.

The pretzel place was there, like Bokuto said. Except, the gate was pulled down, successfully blocking off any entrance. They didn't exactly have time to look for the proper entrance, either. Kuroo turned the crowbar over in his hands and jammed one end of it under the edge of the gate that met the counter. He cursed and pushed down on the other side as hard as he could. It barely moved. Bokuto stepped over and helped push. It went up a few more inches, then another few. Just enough to fit a human through—or at least Kuroo through.

"I'll go get the wipes, you wait here, okay?" Kuroo asked. Bokuto looked conflicted. "What?"

"What if there're monsters in there?" Bokuto grumbled. "I don't like the idea of you being out of my sight for that long."

"Dude, I survived four days on my own," Kuroo said, smiling as calmly as he could even if his nerves were still on fire. "It'll be quick, promise."

Bokuto reluctantly nodded with a grunt, flipping the bat in his hand. Kuroo nodded. He dropped his duffel bag and hopped on the counter. He slid under the opening they made with not even and inch to spare. _Maybe being built like a pole had advantages beside longer legs and strides_.

Kuroo stepped down on the floor, now inside the little shop near silently. He gave Bokuto a mocking salute before turning around and grabbing the plastic container of wipes off the back counter. When he walked back to the gate, Bokuto was staring with wide eyes and a slightly offended expression. Kuroo smirked and slid back under the opening and outside the shop.

"...Was it seriously there the entire time?" Bokuto grumbled.

"Yup," Kuroo said, popping the _p_. He ruffled Bokuto's messy hair. "I'm flattered you care that much, though."

Bokuto pouted like a child and swatted his hand away. Kuroo snorted, opening the container. He quickly checked the label to make sure it was okay for human skin—it was—and pulled one of the wipes out. Bokuto turned his head to Kuroo could clean his face, but still was pouting, now with arms crossed.

Kuroo smirked and rolled his eyes. He put the container on the counter, tilted Bokuto's face up a little before carefully wiping where the goo had been. He went the same way—up and away from Bokuto's mouth but still down enough to stay away from his eyes. He folded the wipe over and did a once over again before deciding he was happy with his work.

"Now you're really fine," Kuroo said, patting Bokuto on his cheek. The other kept pouting as he looked back up at Kuroo.

Kuroo threw the used wipe back inside the pretzel shop. He grabbed the container of wipes and put it in the duffel bag—just in case a close call like that happened again.

"Sports store, now, right?" Bokuto asked once Kuroo had his bag back over his shoulder and crowbar back in his hand. Kuroo nodded. Bokuto pointed the direction they had just come from. Kuroo looked over his shoulder. A large sign sticking out said the name of the store in big letters. "That way, then."


	5. Chapter 5

It was really eerie seeing the mall as empty as it was. Kuroo hadn't really had time to notice it while they were running for their literal lives, but now it was hitting him. There was obvious chaos in some of the stores—shelves knocked over, items strewn across the floors, little carts flipped and emptied—but other than that there were no signs of life. It was weird not hearing chatter everywhere, or someone shouting because of something stupid with their friends.

To Kuroo, it never really hit that he'd probably never be able to do that again—laughing or joking about something stupid with friends. Now it was, though.

Bokuto kept talking throughout the time that they walked down the line of abandoned stores. He knew the exact way to go and get to the sports store from where they were. Kuroo didn't question it and just followed after him. The other talked about anything that came to mind and filled the creepy silence—quiet enough that it wasn't keeping either of them from hearing any incoming attacks. Somehow, he got to telling random stories about his volleyball team.

"And then, we had to send a rescue squad to get Hinata from the bathroom," Bokuto continued. Kuroo snorted and covered the rest of his laughter with a hand over his mouth. Bokuto cackled about it, too, smiling a little fondly at the memory. "Yeah, that happens a lot with him. Apparently that's how he met Kageyama. They do these super freaky quicks where it's like.. bam! And the point's scored! It's real cool, but kinda scary when we do two-on-twos."

"Sounds scary," Kuroo said. "Kenma told me about it once, I think, but less sound effects."

"Oh the sound effects make it better," Bokuto declared seriously. Kuroo rolled his eyes as they rounded a corner. He knew they were probably getting a little too relaxed considering the close call a few minutes ago, but he'd indulge. "The thing's right around the corner."

Kuroo nodded and they turned the next corner. A short distance down the hall was the sports store. Bokuto picked up into a sprint and Kuroo followed after him. The other reached the main door first and glanced around the place as Kuroo caught up.

Shelves and displays were torn up and knocked to the ground. Some of them were still standing, but their contents were everywhere else. Equipment was scattered in almost every open floor space, hiding most of it. Some of the hanging displays were crooked, and Kuroo was scared one of them was just going to fall right on top of him. It smelled strange, a just off scent that Kuroo just couldn't place and it bugged him. A few lights were out, plunging corners and small side rooms into darkness. That wasn't comforting in any sense of the word.

Bokuto started to move further into the store without further hesitation. Kuroo wondered if he could wait out there, but that was a worse idea. Bokuto was the one doing the creature ass whooping. Kuroo was just support, really. Kuroo grumbled to himself a little and picked his way over some of the knocked over things and followed Bokuto.

Luckily, Bokuto seemed to know exactly where he needed to go to find the volleyball stuff. Kuroo looked at the things in piles on either side of them as they walked. He could probably find something to use as a better weapon. Didn't they have like hiking sticks? Or just any kind of pointy stick? Kuroo figured they could look for stuff like that after Bokuto got his kneepads, which he seemed pretty set on getting. Bokuto shoved some things out of the way, and they reached one of the back corners of the store. He crouched and started digging through one of the piles. Kuroo was getting a weird feeling, and looked around the place cautiously. He turned the crowbar over in his hands a few times and felt his fingers twitched.

"Stop right there!" a gruff voice shouted. Kuroo jolted and whipped around to face the direction it came from. Bokuto was on his feet in a second, putting Kuroo between himself and the wall with his bat held at the ready. Kuroo appreciated the gesture, but if it was a creature, he'd be yelling at Bokuto. It was just a human though. But a human with a gun.

"Listen, we're just looking for some stuff," Bokuto said.

The guy walked out from around the corner he was hiding behind. Kuroo narrowed his eyes a little. He knew that guy. Tanned skin, and spiky short black hair. The clothes were different from the usual stuff Kuroo knew him for wearing, but it was kind of the apocalypse. Regardless of all that, he'd recognize those arms anywhere.

"Iwaizumi!" Kuroo shouted, putting a hand on Bokuto's shoulder and stepping forward a bit. Iwaizumi faltered and his eyes went wide. "Dude! Good to see you living!"

"Kuroo," Iwaizumi sighed in recognition. At that, Bokuto stepped down enough that Kuroo could walk around him. Iwaizumi lowered his gun—a hunter rifle with some of the tags still on it—and smiled a little. "Damn, it's a relief to see other people alive."

"Get what ya mean," Kuroo nodded. He turned to Bokuto, who was awkwardly looking between Iwaizumi and Kuroo. He nodded for Bokuto to come over. "This is Iwaizumi. We have classes together. And Iwaizumi, this is Bokuto. We've been teaming up for a day or two."

Bokuto and him exchanged a brief nod. Iwaizumi looked over his shoulder and down the small aisle he came.

"I'm with that guy I was telling you about," Iwaizumi said. "Oikawa!"

"GIVE ME A MINUTE!" another voice shouted.

"Oikawa!?" Bokuto squawked. Iwaizumi nodded again and gave him a questioning look.

Kuroo was just plain confused—he didn't think he payed attention when Iwaizumi talked about Oikawa. A few seconds later, another man came running down the aisle. He had chocolate brown hair and Kuroo recognized him from that. He showed up a few times to "pick up" Iwaizumi. His hair was usually pretty ordered, but now it was mess and Kuroo kind of felt bad for him.

Oikawa rounded the corner and he and Bokuto both gasped loudly. Iwaizumi and Kuroo both gave them a confused look as Oikawa practically jumped on Bokuto and the latter caught him in a hug. Bokuto and Oikawa spewed gibberish for almost two full minutes that felt way too long. Eventually, Bokuto lowered Oikawa to the ground and they let go of each other. Kuroo frowned and glanced between them. Unless his observations were wrong, he thought Oikawa and Iwaizumi were dating. Did he miss something?

"Iwa-chan!" Oikawa said. He moved over and grabbed Iwaizumi's shoulders, shaking him back and forth. "This is the owl-guy from the volleyball team!"

"Stop doing that, Shittykawa!" Iwaizumi grunted, grabbing Oikawa's wrists and yanking his hands away.

"Kageyama told you about where the others are, right?" Bokuto asked. Oikawa turned and nodded. "You guys heading that way?"

"That was the plan after we got some stuff here," Oikawa explained. Kuroo was less confused, but for some reason Oikawa rubbed him the wrong way at that point. "What're you here for?"

"Kneepads," Kuroo answered. Oikawa turned to him and glanced him up and down. Bokuto nodded when Oikawa looked back at him. "Less chance of scraping them if you fall. Plus the fast ones go off smell and sound."

"Wait, you know how those things work!?" Iwaizumi asked, shoving Oikawa away slightly from where he was still grabbing Iwaizumi. Oikawa huffed a little indignantly.

"Not really," Kuroo said quickly. Iwaizumi looked a little disappointed. Bokuto went back to searching for kneepads in one of the piles. "I just picked up some stuff. Like... the ones that'll jump at you go off sight. The runner ones are smell and hearing, and it looks like there might be some mixes, too. Oh, and when someone does get infected, it only takes a few seconds before effects start showing, just so you know."

"And you figured all that out from what, a week?" Oikawa asked. Yeah, Kuroo didn't like his attitude and he was just rubbing him in all the wrong ways.

"Habit," Kuroo shrugged. Oikawa gave him another look before shrugging. He tugged Iwaizumi's arm and they went down the aisle a bit, talking quietly.

Kuroo ignored it, turned and went over to where Bokuto was digging for kneepads. It looked like he found one pair, and was looking for another. There was a only a few seconds before he pulled out another pair triumphantly. Kuroo grabbed the one on the floor and ripped the packaging open. He sat down next to Bokuto and they both pulled the pads on under their jeans. Kuroo wished he had worn a looser pair, but he made it work.

When they were done, they stood back up. Kuroo bent his knees to try and get used to the feeling of them on under his pants. Oikawa and Iwaizumi were back to standing where they were, and Kuroo and Bokuto walked back over.

"You guys leaving?" Bokuto asked. Iwaizumi glanced over at Oikawa, who just looked down at his feet.

"Yeah, soon probably," Iwaizumi said, crossing his arms. "We've spent long enough here as is. Try to keep moving, right?"

"Right," Bokuto nodded. "Well, we're lookin' for one more thing, yeah? The hiking stick?"

"Something long and pointy," Kuroo shrugged. Iwaizumi snorted at that and Kuroo smirked. "Stab things."

"Good luck," Oikawa said. "We're gonna try and get to the rest of the team. See you there?"

"Of course," Bokuto said, smiling like everything would be alright. Like their lives weren't on the line at all, Kuroo thought. Oikawa nodded and Iwaizumi grunted.

The other two said their goodbyes and left. Kuroo still couldn't shake the weird feeling Oikawa gave him, but it was probably just him overthinking it. He did that sometimes. Bokuto didn't seem to notice anything amiss, and cheerily began to lead the way to the hiking section.

Somehow, the shelves with the sharp ones stayed in tact. Kuroo didn't question it, since it meant he didn't have to deal with one of them stabbing him in the foot or something. He went over and grabbed one. He made sure it was one that had a decent enough point that he could crack a wall—which he tested on the wall right next to the display. Once that was decided, Kuroo tossed the crowbar back in his bag and tapped the pointed end of the stick on the floor.

Bokuto waited for him to nod before they left the store. Oikawa and Iwaizumi were long gone at that point, so Kuroo didn't have to worry about the feeling any more. They made their way back down the line of the stores and Kuroo made the decision to go out the other exit. That one would lead in closer to where they were headed. He didn't know which way the others went, but he hoped Iwaizumi was smart enough to figure that much out. Kuroo had to shake out his legs every now and then and when they reached the ground floor, Bokuto noticed.

"What's wrong?" he asked, looking concerned.

"Kneepads feel weird," Kuroo grumbled, reaching down as they kept walking to fix it a little bit. "It'll be fine, though. Just a little uncomfortable."

"...'S what you get for wearing super tight pants," Bokuto muttered. Kuroo's brain paused a bit, but he dismissed it as a general comment.

"Oh please, I have tighter ones," Kuroo snorted. Bokuto looked at him with wide eyes and Kuroo just shrugged.

"Do they cut off blood flow!?" Bokuto said, vaguely amazed.

"Nah, but makes my ass look great," Kuroo said, smirking smugly. He could've sworn he saw Bokuto look at his butt, but he wrote it off as himself being weird.

They reached the exit to the mall and Bokuto stepped out in front of him. Kuroo sorted out his kneepads as Bokuto scanned the area. Then they set off again.


End file.
